INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Twenty-four horses in 17 Indiana counties have tested positive for a mosquito-borne viral encephalitis that also can sicken humans, state officials said Wednesday.

Horses have tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis in the following counties: Adams, Boone, Daviess, Decatur, DeKalb, Elkhart, Hendricks, Howard, Jay, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte, Noble, Putnam, Rush, Steuben and St. Joseph.

It’s the widest dispersion of the virus in Indiana in recent memory, said Dr. Sandra Norman, equine director for the Indiana State Board of Animal Health.

“Typically, in years when we receive reports of EEE, we see them clustered in the most northern counties in Indiana, particularly on the western side of the state,” Norman said.

Because the virus is carried by mosquitoes, the state likely will receive new positive test results for the virus until freezing temperatures kill off the flying pests, she said.

Eastern equine encephalitis causes incurable central nervous system problems in horses. Humans also are susceptible to the virus, but not via horses. Mosquitoes must feed from infected birds to spread the virus to humans.

Posted 10/25/2007